In the aftermath of WWII, visionaries in Japan and the United States came together to establish a university in Japan that would educate “new leaders for a new Japan” committed to reconciliation, democracy, and human rights. The Japan ICU Foundation was incorporated in New York in 1949 to support this endeavor, and International Christian University (ICU) was founded the same year. Over 75 years later, ICU has grown into a leading university, and JICUF and ICU remain steadfast partners.
With our eyes on the future, JICUF’s mission is to nurture global citizens who contribute to the well-being of humanity. We fulfill this mission by supporting innovative educational programs at ICU and other higher education institutions in Japan. Examples include Refugee Education Japan, the SDG Projects, the Othmer Research Fellowship and the Global Citizen Fellowship.
Most Recent Articles
JICUF hosts the third ICU Student Weekend in New York
JICUF held its third annual ICU Student Weekend in New York from Friday, January 10th to Sunday, January 12th. This event invites ICU students studying at universities in the US and Canada through exchange programs to New York. This year, among the 59 students studying in North America, 34 students participated from near and far, including such locations as Vermont, New Jersey, California, Ohio and Vancouver! JICUF covered the cost of accommodation, two meals, and museum admission fees; each student paid for their travel expenses. Most students arrived in New York on Thursday the 9th, and 26 attended a social gathering held at the JICUF office the following Friday afternoon. […]
ICU Farm Project
The ICU farm project was launched in the spring of 2024 as a collaboration between JICUF and ICU. The project seeks to revive the campus farm established when ICU was founded. It aims to utilize ICU’s rich natural environment as a learning space centered on food and agriculture, and also fits well into ICU’s mid-term plan (2021-2025), which emphasizes the “social implementation of the liberal arts.” The idea for the farm project first emerged in 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic. JICUF President Paul Hastings and Vice President Aki Takada led a meeting at ICU to explore the concept. ICU professors, representatives from Mitaka City Hall, dedicated students, alumni involved in […]
Jannelly Guardado, the first recipient of the Nelson Ranch Scholarship
Janelly Guardado, the first recipient of the Nelson Ranch Scholarship enrolled at ICU this September. We interviewed Janelly about her new life at the ICU. Photo: Naoki Beppu JICUF: When and what made you interested in Japan? Jannelly: I became interested in Japan because Japanese was the only Asian language taught at my high school. At the time, I was really into Asian culture, and I thought it would be interesting to take Japanese as a foreign language. Once I began to study the language, I became intrigued by all the things my high school Japanese teacher would tell our class about Japan. JICUF: What were you most worried about […]
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